Kyrre

Short Update

2008-04-12T16:26:10Z

No, nothing has happened yet. Just a lot of false alarms, or should I say false hopes, in the evenings. Number Two keeps me in suspension.

kyrre @ 2008-02-29T20:59:00

2008-02-29T19:59:50Z

Little One had a restless night, apparently his tummy ached. I felt somewhat guilty giving him into daycare but we four had another much-to-do-day.

By now the apartment is clean! My brother and my father installed the blinds although the one in Little One's room was deemed unsafe and detached again. The srew anchors haven't enough hold because the wall lacks sturdiness. We will try it with longer screw anchors, at a later time. The bath has now a cabinet so that things aren't just lying around anymore.

My visitors left in the evening to return home. That saddened the Little One who went at one time out of the appartment - he can reach the door handles now - to look if grandpa would come back. (I'm glad that we will visit them for the Easter holidays.) He had no hunger at all this evening and I worry over him; I hope he won't become sick.

kyrre @ 2008-02-28T21:29:00

2008-02-28T20:29:52Z

My parents and my brother arrived today while I was still sweeping the floor and immediately took over. Mom started cleaning (*sigh*), my brother started to assemble the IKEA bed and my father first carried all the things they brought with them up the stairs to my flat and then attached with me the knobs of the new wardrobe. I managed to iron the clothes too but everything else was taken out of my hands.

The Little One was excited beyond description to have his uncle and his grandparents here. It was difficult to get him to bed although he was visible tired. After we managed that he vanished into dreamland in a flash.

They are planning to return home tomorrow although the time isn't set yet. I feel glad that they are here but also overwhelmed and somewhat guilty that it is only a 'working trip'.

Still too tired for my taste and it hurts when #2 kicks. #2 likes to kick often and it feels to me as if he/she is walking around in my belly.

Today...

2008-02-19T19:53:44Z

... nothing out of the ordinary happened and for that I am thankful.

Currently I want nothing more than spending the days curled up on the couch and reading. Like today. No writing though so I feel guilty. Managed grocery shopping and spent a long hour outside with the Little One.

Long Stories

2008-02-07T13:15:38Z

I'm trying to break writer's block. I don't know if it can be truly called writer's block; it's Real Life rudely intruding and disbalancing me emotionally.

In Gotham's Shadow is challenging to write for me. Its projected length is at least 50K because this story was intended to be my NaNo'07 project. Only once before I have written a story so long. Spirits That I Called was the NaNo'05 novel and is only a very rough draft. It isn't finished at all, it isn't even readable yet. After that I was so fed up I haven't been able to look at that pre-novel again so far. (Although I believe that it could become a real novel if I could bring myself to sit down and rewrite it.)

So my personal record is at 50K unfinished. The longest finished story is The Demon's Own at 4.9K. In Gotham's Shadow has just jumped over the 10K hurdle. It is quite respectable for me but now I am lagging and I haven't reached the middle yet. I wonder if I am not cut out to be a novel-length writer. The problem is that the plots I dream up are novel(la)-filling but the act of writing them down - this I find incredible hard.

So, fellow writers, what is the preferred story-length you are writing? Did you ever have similiar problems reaching novel-length? How do you maintain the motivation?

x-posted to kyrre and anvar

Wonderful examples of worldbuilding

2008-02-06T23:02:51Z

I would like to manage such immersion into a strange culture:

The Aphorisms of Kherishdar by haikujaguar

kyrre @ 2008-01-28T23:31:00

2008-01-28T22:33:53Z

We are all more or less recovered. Tomorrow my mother drives me and the Little One home. We intend to spent a few days together although I will very busy to get the piled up to-dos from my table.

Returning home

2008-01-07T09:45:01Z

I'm cleaning up my Brother's laptop, removing private files and programs. After three weeks of holiday vacation at my parents' house I will return home to my everyday life.

I have already an impressive to-do list for this week. I just hope I can maintain somehow my two-hour-writing sessions.

Question: Visibility of f-locked posts

2008-01-05T23:39:07Z

Something I noticed is that anvar's f-locked posts (that's the default) don't appear always on the f-lists, or so it seems to me.

temve, murasaki99, and you all who are mutual friends with anvar, did the posts of the last days appear on your Friends pages or not?

Re: Writing

2008-01-03T23:32:03Z

Just a little addendum to my last entry. The prologue to the story - thank you temve for the beta - that I currently (try to) write has been publically posted here in my writing journal (anvar). I know I hadn't updated that journal in a long time.

Just a little post until the Little One wakes up

2008-01-03T14:27:21Z

The weather has turned frosty (-5°C) and stormy. It does't invite a walk outside but sitting and thinking and listening to the wind with a glass of hot tea (or cold coke, in my case).

We all have slept badly the last two nights. While it is understandable for New Year's night the repetition last night was a bit much.

My mother has caught a bad cold since Christmas so her snoring/rattling breath is especially loud. She doesn't get enough air to sleep soundly. The Little One is always shifting in his sleep. Disturbing dreams, maybe?

I have again started to sleep very lightly and am under the impression that I wake up several times during the night. Last night, I moved out of the shared bedroom to sleep in the living room on the floor. It was too loud, too restless there. Naturally, my back ached in the morning.

The year has started insofar well that I managed to write more than 600 words daily. I manage that from 10 to 12pm when all is quiet in the house and I feel calm at last. I watch novel_in_90 but always 750 words are more than I feel comfortable with. I'd like to get 5 days a week an average of 500 words. We will see.

No New Year Resolutions this time

2007-12-31T23:25:52Z

I have decided to make no resolutions for 2008. Resolutions are like something unyielding, something like a promise to yourself that must be kept at all costs. I feel like I fell short of everyone for the last year (I don't think that this is really true but my gut says otherwise.). In addition, I have no idea how my daily routine will be when #2 is born.

Instead I am making a list of things I like to realize this year.

Taking the time to work creatively (painting, modelling clay etc.) with my Little One at the weekends. We played with modelling clay a few days ago and he loved it.
Going with him to the swimming bath every few weeks. Again, when we did it as the creche organized it, he loved it.
Finding a gym with childcare and going after #2 is born and while #1 is in daycare.
Preparing for the return into the job during the second half of the year.
Taking at least two projects as work-from-home.
Writing In Gotham's Shadow, the novel-length story I plotted for the last NaNoWriMo.

I'm very certain that I won't make them all happen but I will be happy for each that becomes reality.

I wish everyone a Happy and Successful Year 2008!

The year 2007

2007-12-31T21:24:18Z

In January my grandmother died. She was the last of her generation and I am happy that she still did see the Little One born and growing into a toddler.

Early that year I enrolled at the university again and finished successfully two courses. The two fall/winter courses I took suffered from my move into the new apartment. I won't take the exams for them because I don't think I can catch up until February begins. (In addition, my pregnancy will be too far along, I believe, to feel comfortably at all in such a situation.)

And yes, as I had planned I got pregnant again although I knew that my family had their reservations about this idea. For the first time ever I saw my mother absolutely speechless when I 'confessed' in late August. So I will have two Little Ones in April. By now everyone is looking forward to it.

I got a paying project in August that should have taken two months at best but stretched over four. Partly because of the situation in that company, partly because of me (de-motivation and the move).

I moved into a bigger apartment. If I had known before how much stress it would be - I would have chickened out. It ate up all my time in October and also took a good chunk from November. The kitchen counter still needs to be replaced. *sigh*

But all in all I'm glad to have the new apartment. Little One has the biggest room. He has a lot of space to play although he must share with his sibling later. My living room has a balcony, floor-length windows and a great view. I have now a seperate bed room/study, a bath with an actual bathtub and a bigger kitchen.

There are some resolutions I couldn't uphold and I am sad about it. Fitness and writing are the most important of them. For the former I just seemed to find no time and for the latter I was both too exhausted at the end of the day and/or the creative juice felt dried up.

kyrre @ 2007-12-31T17:27:00

2007-12-31T16:27:02Z

Oh, the time goes by. The Little One has his second birthday today. He has a great time. Again he got many gifts, this time all were somehow icebear-themed. And of course, his very own firework just now.

We had clear and sunny weather, for the first time in the last two weeks. I used the opportunity for a long walk while the Little One took his nap. It did me good.

Edit: Oh, he was so excited, he wouldn't calm down. He raced through all the rooms, playing hide-and-seek with his uncle or starting tickling attacks. It took our combined efforts to get him to bed after 8pm. Although there was loud protest, he was fast asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

kyrre @ 2007-12-30T15:29:00

2007-12-30T14:29:31Z

Done: Futile rewriting yesterday evening. Early today the words suddenly came. Mailed the little piece to temve for beta. Finally something written again.

kyrre @ 2007-12-27T14:54:00

2007-12-27T13:54:37Z

Done: Survived dentist appointment. Refuelled my car. Urgent mail mailed.

kyrre @ 2007-12-24T12:15:00

2007-12-24T11:15:10Z

So far the day was rather quiet, almost lazy if it were not for a quirly almost-two-years-old who kept us busy. The weather turned from frosty and dry to wet and just cold and very uncomfortable. There is much sleet and we avoided the usual little forenoon walk.

We adults promised each other to give no presents this year (Little One will get many, of course) although I suspect/hope that one wish of mine will be fullfilled. I couldn't bear the thought of Christmas without gifts for my parents and my brother and put some tea and candy together for mini-presents.

The time until the late afternoon when there will be the opening of the gifts moves slowly, but it is a thoughful slowness, so I don't mind at all.

Happy Christmas, everyone!

kyrre @ 2007-12-09T19:11:00

2007-12-09T18:18:28Z

Damn, but I am exhausted. Between yesterday, getting the new kitchen clean and the refrigerator ready, and today, cleaning everywhere and storing things in the kitchen boards I was continually busy. My feet hurt and I just want to fall down and sleep.

The Little one was so excited when his grandparents showed up around noon that he didn't want to take his nap until he almost keeled over. We all had a great time even while getting things done.

Finished

2007-12-03T13:30:05Z

The thrice-damned manual is finished and was sent to its final destination this night. And I heave a sigh of relief.

The last days were difficult. Although I aproach top form when I am under a deadline working around Little One's daily routine wasn't easy. I had to work in the evening at those hours when I am not at my best anymore.

At midnight before delivery OpenOffice had had enough and froze every five minutes or so. I'm lucky that its recovery function works. At one point it even lost all of the screenshots and I panicked before realizing that I had a very recent backup copy. Anyway, I'm glad it is away. I went to bed at 2:30am and I am very thankful that my Little one let me sleep until 7am.

I expect that I will get the one or other rewriting request as the damn software is far from finished yet (whatever they want to think themselves) but I should get my pay this month.

That the delivery and the installation of the new kitchen was also the a week and a half before added to the stress. Btw, they are coming again. No, it didn't go without a hitch.

Today, after bringing the Little One to daycare and bringing back the keys to the office I just crashed. I couldn't sleep, I hardly ever can do that during the day but I dozed for about three hours before getting up again to eat and drink.

I have a page-long to-do list for the next few days. During the next weekend my parents will be visiting and I need to get the household in order. I hate it when my mother feels obliged to start cleaning my appartment. Even if she means well it makes me feel inadequate.

PS: I couldn't do NaNoWriMo but I have a lots of notes and plot outlines from October and the start of November. Also the idea is still alive and strong in the back of mind. Maybe I should write the story anyway. No, no 50K in one month but there are other writing marathons out there. I need to take a look.

In communication range again

2007-11-12T20:30:47Z

Hi, everyone, I am home again and, surprisingly, I have even internet access. Currently catching up on posts and fics.

'til later.

Off-line

2007-10-27T18:06:37Z

We moved to our new appartment on October 22. Due to mishaps with my provider internet access will be down at least until the 30th.

kyrre @ 2007-10-20T20:55:00

2007-10-20T20:15:27Z

Wir sind alle drei hundemüde.

Heute geschafft:

wieder eine Ladung Bücher in die neue Wohnung geschafft
Mutti hat das Balkonzimmer sauber gemacht
Vati hat die Lampen abmontiert
mit Andreas Hilfe das Kellerregal abgebaut und im neuen Keller aufgebaut
etwas zwei Drittel des Kellerinhaltes in den neuen Keller transportiert
die restlichen Bücher aus dem großem Regal verpackt (aber ich noch mehr Bücher im Sideboard und in der Vitrine)
die Akten verpackt (verdammt, diese Kiepen sind schwer)
vier Armladungen voll Papiere und alte Zeitschriften aussortiert (mich von den "Wunderwelten" zu trennen fiel mir schwer)

Mutti war am späten Nachmittag noch mal losgezogen, um den Kampf gegen die verschmutzten Fenster, insbesondere die Rahmen aufzunehmen. Dann klopfte es an die Tür, es stand endlich jemand von der Reinigungsfirma vor der Tür. Er übernahm die noch nicht geputzten Fensterscheiben.

Aber als er wollte, dass Mutti seinen Auftrag abzeichnete, weigerte sie sich. Erstens stand auf den Auftrag als Frist gestern abend und nicht heute. Zweitens umfasste der Mängelbeseitigungsauftrag u.a. auch die Fensterrahmen und an die wollte er nicht ran. Er sei ein Fensterputzer, kein Rahmenputzer, sagte er. Total höflich dabei, wie Mutti betonte. Sie blien hart, er rief seine Chefin.

Bei dem Gespräch kam raus, dass die Reinigungsfirma für diese Wohnung nie einen Auftrag für die Grundreinigung bekommen hatte. Anscheinend hat da die Hausverwaltung und/oder die Bauleitung oder wer auch immer gepatzt. Das erklärt natürlich einiges. Es gab wohl nie eine Reinigung außer dem Ausfegen durch die Handwerker. Na, da stehen mir wohl Montag noch einige Telefonate bevor.

kyrre @ 2007-10-11T10:44:00

2007-10-11T08:54:15Z

It is an awful feeling to start the day frustrated because the measurements from the kitchen haven't arrived yet and probably won't be in the mail today and I can't order the kitchen counter without them.

The day of the move approaches and I won't have a kitchen then, I'm afraid. I feel helpless because I don't know how I can speed things up.

Today...

2007-09-24T20:00:55Z

... I made the appointment for getting the keys to our new appartment. The property management was supposed to contact me but didn't so far. It is fortunate that I took the initiative because I found out that I still have to get some signatures for the rent deposit before the appointment which is on Thursday.

... I mindmapped the whole move issue. My, there are many things to do. None of them surprised me but seeing them on one sheet of paper let me realize that I will very busy the next four or five weeks.

... my Little One demonstrated again that he loves the creche. When I came to take him home he briefly glanced at me and went back to the sand-pit. OK, playing is important, I understand that. After a few minutes he came running and I squatted down to hug him. He swerved to sidestep me and get to the table with bread and water, while grinning at me. That rascal! *grins*

Not yet relieved

2007-08-13T08:43:39Z

So I should breathe a sigh of relief that I have the two written exams behind me even if the idea lurks in the back of mind that I have failed at least one of them.

But I really feel burned out. I need a few days rest. Alas, the manual is waiting to be written, the lease contract hasn't arrived yet and I will have a job interview this or next week. All this is making me tense.

So I apologize that you won't hear much from me either in the near future.